Victorian Hairwork, Women’s History, Hair Jewelry, American Folk Art, 19th Century America, Women's Labor, Gender Studies Diane Irby Victorian Hairwork, Women’s History, Hair Jewelry, American Folk Art, 19th Century America, Women's Labor, Gender Studies Diane Irby

Rebecca Ellen Robinson Weatherford - Manufacturer of Hair Jewelry of Every Style and Variety - Salem, OR.

Rebecca Ellen Robinson Weatherford was a 19th-century Salem, Oregon hairwork artist who used her craft to secure financial independence and autonomy. Her story highlights the role of working women in the Victorian era and shows how historic records often contradict the true reality of their labor, talents, and economic successes.

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American History, 19th Century America, Civil War Studies, Photography and Visual Culture, Memory and Mourning, Material Culture, History of Photography, Early Photography, Battlefield Photography Diane Irby American History, 19th Century America, Civil War Studies, Photography and Visual Culture, Memory and Mourning, Material Culture, History of Photography, Early Photography, Battlefield Photography Diane Irby

Portraits of War: Identity, Intimacy, and Memory in American Civil War Culture

Civil War-era portrait photography shaped identity, intimacy, and mourning for soldiers and families. This in-depth essay by Diane Irby explores the emotional and cultural power of photographs in the face of death, distance, and shifting social norms during the American Civil War.

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